Today I am attending a class

to renew my PALs certification. A must have for the department I work in. The last time it was plumb miserable. I've been assured that it won't be. Cross the fingers.

Back to Sunday for a bit here today. I've decided that this summer we need to explore some new places. Life gets really busy here in the summer. Seems like we run nonstop and then some ... to the same spots. So, this summer, I've decided that we need to explore a new place once a month. How's that for ambition? I have lists of places I'd love to go this year. North Pole and Fairbanks being really very high on the list. Sunday's trip to Knik Glacier counted for one!! I shared a few pictures the other day, but (other than my body that protested quite loudly afterward) it was a day worth sharing more of with you.

Our plan had been to get some adults out riding for the day ... but that changed .. and am glad it did. Ridlons called Sunday morning and said they were going with the kids. They sort of have the Cadillac of riding equipment. Fred, Anna & Tia hopped along with us and we headed out to Jim's Creek to wait for the other group. Oh, so peaceful out there. In no time at all this area will be full of vehicles and folks fishing. Myself included. I'm getting the itch to hold a fishing pole .... big time!

Sand everywhere .... or maybe I should say silt. The wind was blowing little bits everywhere. Sort of beachy feeling ... if you ignore the Carhart's Anna added on top of her jeans and the fact that I had a few layers on myself.

The growing of green. We didn't have a lot of snow this winter, but it is still fun watching the green move up the moutain and wondering if it will catch the snow before it melts.

You would think that nature took a paint brush and painted it all gray ....

After nearly several hours of riding we stopped for lunch. We had eaten enough dust ... was time for something a bit more nutritious.

Mia and KayLinn ... what little sweethearts!

I often wonder what kind of a mom I'd have been if I'd lived up here with babies. Would I have been bringing them out to see glaciers or staying home with them. I really don't know. Warren is just the cutest ever ... and picked quite the time to load up those britches ... and more.

We weren't to the glacier yet and I was a bit weary of bouncing around ... "just 10 more minutes" was well worth the ride. Unbelievable beauty!

Miss Anna ... there are a few of us here that appear to have another appendage attached to us ... a camera.

Tia ... I tried to capture her face ... it didn't work. We were a bit "dusted".

I know that I would have been a bit too chicken to try this one! The sounds coming from the vehicle were very reminscent of the roller coaster at Disney. Up and down, up and down .... they had a blast ... and it was fun watching them. The driver having just as much fun as the kids in the ride.

The mountain side was dotted with sheep. They are nearly impossible to see in here unless you zoom and really look. Made me wonder if shepherds ever climbed these hills. No thanks.

The kids spent some time hopping rides back and forth. Robert was enthralled with Fred's ride ... and was more than anxious to try driving ... he was quite thrilled. Am guessing that Jeremy heard a lot of "I want one ...." when they got home.

I won't see a sunset until sometime this fall ... we'll watch the sun shining constantly ... hopefully there won't be so many clouds through the summer that it is completely covered. I'll be back to this spot sometime before too long ...let's hope I leave with some fish next time!

In the art of daily living:

• we're down another car again (we certainly got our $200 worth out of the Subaru and it has given up the ghost)
• the cucumbers are growing those hooker onner things that really need to move to the greenhouse and start climbing
• a strawberry plant is blooming
• the yard is turning green and the lawnmower doesn't work (maybe I should find a goat)
• the birds are singing in the morning when I get up and singing at night when I head to bed
• still eating salads from Saturday out of the fridge
• tomorrow is the last day of school
• Jari is suppose to be working out of town ... still hasn't left (such is the life of working out of town here in the summer time)
• I need to get to the shower so I can be chaeuffered to my PALs class (good thing the coffee pot is close by the class room!)